Former George W Bush administration official Neel Kashkari and clownish Tea Parties type Tim Donnelly are vying to be the Republican who'll lose to Jerry Brown in the California governor race.
Kashkari and Donnelly debated on today's John and Ken show on KFI, and let's just say it wasn't exactly Firing Line.
In fact, it was no better than an establishment media debate. While I've heard host John Kobylt really press some guests, neither he nor Ken did in this case. Instead, they mostly sat there as the candidates traded oppo research and talking points, and just generally wasted everyone's time.
About the only pointed question was asked by an audience member, whether the candidates oppose benefits for illegal aliens. As with others' questions, she didn't specify that she wanted an answer to her question. As a result, Kashkari was able to launch into a meaningless stock speech.
But, all is not lost. What I need you to do is to tweet this page or the individual questions to @neelkashkari. If you get an answer, leave it in comments or send it to @24AheadDotCom_ . If you don't get an answer (the much more likely outcome), look up his supporters and point out to them that Kashkari refuses to answer questions. If someone wants to be a railroad engineer but refuses to answer questions about what they'd do in certain situations, would you hire them? Of course not, and the same is true of politicians.
Here are some questions, more might be added later:1. You didn't answer the lady's question at the KFI debate, so I'd like you to do that now. As governor, would you oppose benefits to illegal aliens? Let's say you discover a case where illegal aliens are getting a large amount of non-emergency benefits, would you take whatever steps you could to put a stop to that?2. Specifically, a very large benefit illegal aliens are currently able to receive are discounted college educations. Since there are only a finite number of college slots and college discounts, any slot or discount that goes to an illegal alien is one that was taken away from an American (see the DREAM Act page for an extensive discussion). Will you oppose any attempts now or in the future to give public discounts or grants to illegal aliens?3. Would you support any plan to legalize more than 100,000 illegal aliens?4. List three downsides of comprehensive immigration reform that you know of. If you can't think of any, so indicate.5. Will increased immigration give the sending countries increased political power - a sympathetic political bloc - inside the U.S.?6. How would you restrict the power that the Mexican government has inside the U.S.? If you dispute that they have political power inside the U.S., so indicate (and see the link).7. Can you point to one documented case of crops rotting in the fields due to a lack of workers? By "documented" I mean something that isn't simply self-reported by a grower or repeated by a sympathetic reporter.8. Why do the Democratic Party and the far-left want high immigration and comprehensive immigration reform so much? What exactly do they hope to gain in your opinion?9. Why does the US Chamber of Commerce want high immigration and comprehensive immigration reform so much? What exactly do they hope to gain in your opinion?10. Would pointing out why the US Chamber of Commerce and other business interests want comprehensive immigration reform so much and pointing out that on that issue Jerry Brown is on the same basic side as them help you undercut Jerry Brown to his base? If Jerry Brown was basically aligned with the Koch brothers on some controversial issue, wouldn't pointing that tend to reduce the support he has from his base? Do you agree doing the same would help you attempt to beat Jerry Brown?11. In 2004, the Bush administration's Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation worked with the Mexican consulate in Chicago to give home loans to illegal aliens. Is that something you reflexively oppose, or do you need to look into it first?6/5/14 UPDATE: Kashkari spoke on today's John and Ken show and was asked a weak immigration question by a caller. Kashkari responded by going in to a stock speech during which he said he supported "reform" but didn't specify exactly what that would involve. He claimed that we need more immigration of farm and high tech workers. As with the Donnelly/Kashkari debate, John and Ken dropped the ball and didn't press him on the details. So, to fill in the gap here are several new questions:12. Speaking on KFI on 6/5/14, you said we need immigration of high-tech workers; paraphrasing you said "speak to any high-tech executive of Google" and you listed a few other Silicon Valley companies. Have you received more than $10,000 in total donations from one high-tech company or its executives?13. Speaking on KFI on 6/5/14, you said we need immigration of high-tech workers; paraphrasing you said "speak to any high-tech executive of Google" and you listed a few other Silicon Valley companies. Is there the possibility that they're simply lying?14. It's basic economics that the more there is of something, the lower the price and vice versa. If there aren't enough high-tech workers, then high-tech wages should markedly increase. Can you direct us to independently verified (not self-reported or repeated by sympathetic reporters) examples of such wage increases?15. Likewise, can you direct us to independently verified (not self-reported or repeated by sympathetic reporters) examples of wage increases among farm workers that would indicate that there's a shortage of farm workers?16. Are most unemployed Americans physically capable of doing farm labor?17. Is farm and similar labor heavily subsidized?18. Would many unemployed Americans temporarily do farm or similar labor if they were paid enough?19. Earlier this year, Rush Limbaugh floated the idea of subsidizing Americans to do farm labor. Your plan would subsidize (whether you know it or not) foreign citizens to do farm labor. If you think your plan is better, please explain exactly how. If you don't think your plan is better, what exactly will you do to either develop a new plan or to promote Limbaugh's plan?
Please take action now. Tweet this page or the individual questions to @neelkashkari, and point out to his supporters that he refuses to answer things he should answer.ALSO: Use leverage to get these questions answered. When someone is going to interview Kashkari, send them this page. If they don't ask these questions or tough questions about other issues, then point that out to *their* supporters.